


By the Sea

by AlexHunt



Series: The Orphanage (Blades of Light and Shadow) [3]
Category: Blades of Light and Shadow (Visual Novel), Choices - Fandom, PlayChoices
Genre: Child Abandonment, F/M, Orphanage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25959103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexHunt/pseuds/AlexHunt
Summary: This is part of the Orphanage series. It takes place after Mal & Daenarya save Rayden and Lydo. Not long after Adventures in Babysitting. Kade and Nia are babysitting this time.
Relationships: Mal Volari/Daenarya, Mal Volari/Main Character (Blades of Light and Shadow), Mal Volari/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Orphanage (Blades of Light and Shadow) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1774255
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

“This trip—” Her voice trailed away, her toes wiggling into the cool sand beside the Port Parnassus docks. The soothing scent of the sea surrounded them, drawing them into its beauty. “I mean I miss the boys already, but—” Her arms draped over his neck. “We need this time together. I—”

“I know.” His lips collided with hers, the rest of her words getting lost in him. His hands fell to her hips, inching her back until she was pressed against one of the wooden pilings, supporting the docks above. “I’ve finally got you alone.”

Her eyes closed, her head falling back, relaxing under his touch. 

The waves crashed against the wooden support behind her, spraying cool, seawater over them; though neither of them seemed to mind. 

His beard tickled her, as he brushed a string of fiery kisses down her neck. His nimble fingers made quick work of the laces on her dress, the top slipping off her shoulders. 

“Mmm, Mal.” She hummed his name, tangling her fingers in his hair. Despite the cool water surging around them, her cheeks were warm. Her eyes opened for a moment. She never tired of his adoring gaze; the way he looked at her like she was the only treasure in the world worth capturing. Her eyes began fluttering shut once more under the heat of his breath, but something caught her attention. Her voice was more urgent this time, “Mal!”

“Relax, no one’s coming down here. I got you, Kit.” His words were in short strings as he breathed between kisses across her collarbone.

“Mal!” Daenarya hit her palms against his chest, shoving him back. 

“What!” 

She shifted her head to the side, gesturing a few pilings over. A little girl, about seven or eight, sat in the sand staring out over the water. 

He rested his arm on the post behind Daenarya, sighing as she relaced her dress. “So close.”

“We’ll just have to take this somewhere else, Mr. Magnificent.” 

Their gaze shifted once again to the little girl who seemed to be in a daze, unaware of their presence.

“As much as I want to continue this as soon as possible—” his eyes wandered her until she lifted his chin up, smirking back at him, pulling him from his own trance. “I think we should check on her.”

The little girl drew mindless circles in the sand beside her, her gaze fixed on the water rushing in front of her. Her dark eyes seemed glazed over. Her warm brown skin appeared dry, licked by the spray of the saltwater. There were observable amounts of sand stuck in her unkempt, bushy black hair. 

Daenarya knelt near her. “What are you looking at?”

“I’m looking for mermaids.”

“Oh! Well, that is very important. Do you think we can look too?”

She nodded. “I’m Fienna.”

“Nice to meet you, Fienna. I’m Daenarya. This is Mal.”

“Hi.” She continued her watch without breaking. 

“Mermaids can be really shy.” Mal offered. 

“I know.” 

“Why are you looking for mermaids?” Daenarya asked curiously. 

“So they can make me a mermaid too and take me with them” 

Daenarya smiled at her innocence. She knew better than most that mermaids were very much real, but becoming one, that was entirely different. 

“Won’t your mom and dad miss you if you go live with the mermaids?” Mal questioned. 

“They’re gone,” she stated calmly like the words had no meaning.

“Where?”

Fienna shrugged. “They left.”

“Maybe we can help you look for them,” Daenarya suggested. “When did they leave?” 

“A winter ago, I think. Maybe longer.” She answered, her words seemed indifferent. Everything she said sounded as if coming from someone in a trance, unconnected from reality.

“Where are you staying now?”

“Here. It’s mostly quiet and when big people come down, I can hide behind the sand wall. They don’t see me. I can’t miss the mermaids when they come.” 

“Sweetheart, is there someplace we can take you? Anyone in town that can look after you until your parents come back?” Daenarya brushed Fienna’s hair away from her face.

“Once the mermaids come, everything will be okay.” Fienna nodded, seemingly to convenience herself of what she had said. Her voice got quieter, “Everything will be okay when the mermaids come.” 

Daenarya’s hand fell over her heart, which broke at her words. The little girl had survived by blocking out her emotions and channeling all of her energy on a promise that wasn’t going to come true. 

The lapping waves kept a steady rhythm as the three of them watched the horizon for signs of mermaids. 

Mal shifted closer to Daenarya, his voice just a whisper in her ear. “We should ask around, but it doesn’t sound like anyone even knows she’s down here. I think we should take her back with us. There aren’t any safe orphanages here.”

“I think so too.” Her gaze shifted to Fienna; the little girl certainly needed a safe place to live, the docks were no place for her, but getting her to leave the sea might not be an easy thing to do. Right now, it was the only hope she had to hold on to. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days after the first chapter....

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 

Her toes dug aimlessly in the sand behind her, the corners of her new blanket fluttering up in the soft breeze. Fienna rested her tired head on her arms as she stared longingly at the sea. “Maybe they’ll come today.”

Daenarya sat beside her, stroking her hair, freeing some of the sand and knots as she did so. “Have you thought more about what we talked about?”

“A little,” her voice was weak, her gaze shifting momentarily to Daenarya, then Mal. 

“Wouldn’t you like to have a home? And a bed?” Mal asked. 

Fienna’s thoughtful dark eyes drifted back to the gentle lapping of the waves. “I suppose…But, the mermaids!”

Daenarya and Mal shared a somber look. It had been three days since they had stumbled across the abandoned seven-year-old. She had spent the past year and a half since her parents had left her keeping a steady watch for mermaids. It wasn’t completely beyond the realm of possibility to come across one, however, the likelihood of doing so this close to shore and at a busy port no less was what hindered her chances. 

“Can we get you something for lunch?” Mal asked. Daenarya continuing to comb through the girl’s hair. 

“Okay,” she nodded. “I’ll tell the mermaids you’ll be right back.”

“That’s very thoughtful.”

_Later in town…_

“What are we going to do with her?” Daenarya rested her head on Mal as they walked through the crowded street of the town’s market. “We need to get back to the boys.”

“We’ll find a way to get through to her,” Mal insisted. His steady arm around her, comforting her. He knew her heart was unsettled, longing to help Fienna, but not knowing how. “If it weren’t so dangerous I’d say we could take her back to that little cove we found. But she’s too young.”

Daenarya smiled, her troubled gaze softening at her thoughts. “Why do I feel like Rayden could get through to her?”

“Rayden has a gift for convincing everyone he’s right and that his ideas are the best.”

"I think it’s those eyes!" 

"And that nose!” He chuckled. “When he smiles it does this little crinkling thing.”

“He really is something special. They all are. We have to find a way to convince her to come back with us.” Her voice began trailing away when something caught her eye a few vendors over. She pulled Mal forward, cutting quickly through the crowd. “What about that!?” 

Mal followed where she pointed and reached for the doll on the top shelf. “I think she’ll love it.” 

Daenarya’s fingers caressed the mermaid doll’s black hair. “Do you think it’s enough?”

“I’m not sure, but—” His brow raised in consideration. “It does give me an idea that might just get through to her. I’m just going to need some time. Can we hold off on giving her the doll? I think the two things will work best together.” 

_The next day…_

“We got you juice and some porridge with fresh fruit.”

Fienna reached for the bowl, wasting no time before digging in. She had survived mostly by stealing fish from the fishermen on the docks above and collecting any scraps of food they may have dropped or left behind. 

“Do you remember what we talked about yesterday?” Daenarya sat behind Fienna, brushing her hair as she had been doing every morning.

“Mmhmm.” The little girl nodded, her mouth too full to speak.

“We have to go home tomorrow,” Daenarya reminded her. She had freed enough of the girl’s hair over the past few days to braid the front back and out of her face. “We told you about Rayden and Lydo. The two little boys that we gave a home to already. We would really like you to come with us. We want to give you a place that is safe and warm, where you will always have food and a bed to sleep in.” 

She gulped down the mouthful of food. “But the mermaids.”

“I know and one day, when you’re older, we promise to take you to where we saw the mermaid we told you about.” Daenarya reached into their traveling bag and pulled out the doll they had bought her in the market the day before. “I know it’s not the mermaid you wanted to see, but we thought of you when we saw it.”

Fienna put down the food and cradled the doll in her hands. “She’s very beautiful. Thank you for showing her to me.” She attempted to hand the doll back. 

“We got it for you. She’s yours to keep.”

“For me? Really?” Her voice was so soft as her eyes cascaded over the doll. Her fingers combed through her hair. “She has black hair like me.”

“But it’s not as beautiful.” Daenarya finished the braid she had been working on, before shifting to the girl’s side. Her smile grew as she saw the wonder in Fienna’s eyes as she hugged the doll to her chest. “There’s one other thing.”

“Fienna, you have been so brave, but I know how scary it is out here. I know what it’s like to not know where your parents are. I still don’t know where my father is or if he’s even alive. I know you’re doing your best, but you shouldn’t have to be brave all on your own.” Mal brushed his thumb over her cheek. He saw a part of himself reflected in her deep brown eyes. “Let us be brave for you, so you can focus on playing and laughing and showing us that beautiful smile of yours.”

Mal reached into their traveling bag and took out a folded piece of teal fabric. “We know how important becoming a mermaid is to you. And we know coming with us means you have to put that dream to the side for now. So, we had this made just for you.”

“Is it another blanket? I do get cold sometimes.” Fienna placed the doll at her side and accepted the new gift. Her little fingers opened it upside down at first. “Is it a dress?” She held up the bottom looking for an opening. “There’s no armholes.”

Mal and Daenarya watched with matching grins, waiting for her to figure it out. “Maybe try flipping it around.”

“Oo! It’s a skirt, it has a hole here.” Fienna slipped her feet into the opening. Her mouth twisting as she reached the end and her feet were still inside. Her eyes popped open at once, realization setting in. Her fingers moved over her legs. She laughed gleefully, moving her feet up and down, causing the fin at the end to flap with her movement. “I’m a mermaid!” 

She bounced up trying to stand but quickly fell back down before she could take her first step. 

Mal was there to catch her, safely returning her to her spot between him and Daenarya. “I got you.”

“Thank you!” Fienna rested once more on her blanket. Her watch of the sea paused as she bobbed her legs up and down mesmerized by how her mermaid tail move with her. Her smile dwindled and her pace slowed. She picked up the mermaid doll and fiddled nervously with its hands, her eyes cast away from Mal and Daenarya. “If I come with you, I don’t get to keep looking for mermaids do I?”

“No, sweetheart, not for now at least.”

“But, I can keep this?”

“You can keep it either way. But, we’d really like it if you came with us. You shouldn’t be alone” Mal insisted.

She sat quietly thinking things over for a while. “Do you remember that shell the mermaid gave you?… Do you still have it?”

“We do.” The corners of Daenarya’s lips turned up, hopeful that this question was leading where she thought. “Would you like to see it?”

Fienna nodded. “Do you think it has magic still?”

“Only one way to find out.” 

“Do I have to stay if I don’t like it?”

“Of course not. But I think you’re going to like it.” 

“And you promise one day we can still find a mermaid.” 

“Promise! But only when you’re older. It’s not safe for you right now.”

“Will I really get my own bed?” Her eyes were wide when she asked the question as if she hadn’t actually believed them when they had mentioned it before. Tears trailed down her cheeks leaving a visible path as the walls she had kept up these past few days finally began chipping away. “And I won’t have to hide from scary people at night anymore?” Her hands clutched her stomach. “My tummy won’t hurt from hungries?”

“Oh, sweet girl!” Daenarya wrapped her tightly in her arms. “You’ll never have to be alone, hungry, or scared again.” 

Mal caressed her back softly, reminding her she would always have at least two people who cared for her and had her back, no matter what.

Fienna buried her head into Daenarya, letting herself be held and comforted for the first time in far too long. 


	3. Home

The sky darkened around them. The once bright pinks, oranges, and yellows that painted the beautiful sunset and offered the last bits of light to their journey had given way to a dreary dark blue that faded to black. The crescent moon attempted to peek out from behind one of the looming clouds that were rolling in from the West. The cool air ushering in the storm brushed over them. 

Fienna clutched her mermaid doll tightly as she shivered slightly against the breeze. It was all she had left of the sea. The scent of the ocean had faded away over the days of travel. Though when she closed her eyes, she could still hear the peaceful lapping of the waves, lulling her to sleep with the promise of magical visitors in the morning. Her eyes drooped lower with each passing moment, threatening to shut completely. The memory of her hidden place in the sand dunes pulled her in. Letting go and staying awake was proving difficult. “I’m so tired.” 

“I know, sweetheart,” Daenarya pulled her closer. “Just a few more minutes.” 

The wind rustled down the street, getting stronger. The stars that had not long before begun to twinkle disappeared one by one as the storm grew nearer.

Her dark brown eyes fell shut, causing her to stumble on the uneven cobblestone streets of White Tower. Mal was there to catch her. 

“I’ve got you.” He wrapped his strong arms around her, lifting the girl up into the warmth and safety of his arms. “We’re almost home.”

“Home.” Fienna repeated. The word was a sleepy whisper on her chapped lips, like a dream she hadn’t dared to wish for.

“She almost made it.” Daenarya caressed Fienna’s cheek softly, listening to the soft sounds of the girls breathing shifting until the steady rise and fall of her chest was faint and she no longer stirred. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, pushing it out of the reach of the breeze. “Do you think the boys are still up?”

He raised his brow in her direction. “They shouldn’t be and Fienna needs to rest tonight. So do we!”

Daenarya stifled her own yawn, nodding in agreement. “She’s going to need it for when she meets Rayden, we all will.” 

The familiar street was dark save for a few lights flickering in assorted windows as they turned the last corner of their journey. The orphanage came into focus. It hadn’t been the trip they expected, but it was the one they needed—the one Fienna needed. 

Quietly, they unlocked the door, slipping inside. The creaking floorboards stirred Kade awake.

“Go back to sleep.” Daenarya smiled. There was a time she never thought she’d see her brother again. She would never take a moment of his presence for granted. “I’m sure you’ve more than earned it.”

“Welcome back, Daeny, Mal, and—” Kade rubbed his tired eyes, squinting in the darkness. “Wait, who’s that?”

“A mermaid,” she teased. “Get some sleep, Kade. I’ll tell you in the morning.”

He shook his head, laughing quietly realizing they had somehow found another child in need of a home. The little girl may not know it yet, but she was about to learn how lucky she was and how much love she was going to be showered with. 

Mal carried her up the stairs, taking careful steps to avoid anymore warped wood, hoping not to wake Lydo and Rayden. They always kept an extra room set up, just in case. The boys had proven that it didn’t matter what they planned, there was always going to be an unexpected child in need. 

Daenarya pushed back the covers as Mal gently placed her in the bed and took off her shoes. They pulled the blankets up around her, making sure her mermaid doll was securely in her arms, before tucking her in completely. She seemed to sleep better the closer it was. 

Her little hand grabbed onto Mal’s tunic when he turned to leave. “You kept your promise.” Her grasp weakened falling on the bed beside her once more. Her next words were choppy, mumbled through sleepy breathes. “A real bed. For me.”

“Goodnight, Fienna.” His words were lost to the girl as quiet slumber overtook her once more. 

Daenarya brushed a soft kiss on the top of her head. “Welcome home, Fienna.”


End file.
